Chili Parotha – Shanmugas
Known as one of the oldest Indian restaurants in Colombo, Shanmugas is still good, and going strong. It's one of the very few restaurants that serves up this amazing South Indian delicacy called Chili Parota, which is basically something similar to parota kottu with a mix of onions and chickpeas. Generously infused with chili, this one is spicy as hell, so the helping of raita they offer with this really helps to balance out the heat. If that doesn't work out, we suggest you take a sip of Coca-Cola.
Hot Butter Cuttlefish – Kandoori
Who goes to Kandoori to get HBC, might I ask?
Well, if you haven't done that yet, we suggest you should. Actually, we insist, because they do one spicy plate of HBC. With a truckload of chili flakes and giant pieces of capsicum, it's crunchy, chewy and super delicious. We've had our fair share of HBC in Colombo, and this one is definitely one of the spiciest. You can pair it with a bowl of fried rice, or make a weird combination with biriyani (I mean, why not?), or eat it on its own. No one's judging you.
Lobster Biriyani – Isso
Started off humble with their tiny little outlet down Sulaiman Terrace, Isso now has a bigger, better branch in Colombo 03, with a bunch of new entrants to the menu. The new stuff includes one of the spiciest biriyanis that Colombo has ever seen, (drumroll please!) – the Lobster Biriyani!!!
Mother of dragons, we loved every single bit of it. We were oohing and aahing the whole time we ate this fiery red monster of a biriyani that was served with five lobster tails (small ones), and topped off with a handful of caramelized onions, cashew nuts, and parsley. The spiciness was distributed evenly to each and every grain of its delicious basmati rice. For a restaurant that's specialized in seafood, Isso has nailed the art of creating a biriyani that goes down well with Lankan palates.
Jaffna Crab Curry – Mayura Hotel
Mayura Hotel is an epic place to stop by for some of the best crab dishes we've had. Sure the place looks like this little hole-in-the-wall inside Pettah's marketplace, but don't let it fool you.
Loaded with meat, the crab soaked in an extremely spicy, thick gravy and in terms of flavor, it's authentic as Jaffna crab curry gets. The best part is, you don't have to sell your kidney to indulge in this spicy goodness. Pair it with rice, paan, and might I just add, a Coke?
Rice & Curry — Yarl Eat House
Colombo has a ton of rice and curry spots, so why are we emphasizing on Yarl Eat House? It's simply because of the doubled spicy factor they have in their dishes. It's comparatively hotter than your average buth packet, and they've got a bunch of good meats to choose from – crab, mutton, chicken, cuttlefish, and whatnot.
